The present invention pertains generally to a wide variety of wallets, passport cases, briefcases and enclosures with improved security features. More specifically, the present invention pertains to systems and methods for securing enclosures such as luggage, briefcases, lockers, cases, cabinets, vehicles, buildings, homes, and the like, while employing electronic features communicating, with a smart phone, tablet or a computer. The present invention is particularly useful as a method for controlling locking and unlocking with advanced features including biometric authentication and an ability to transmit and receive electronic signals through various means.
In an age where electronic devices and transactions are prevalent, safe-guarding data within enclosures such as luggage, briefcases, lockers and cabinets has become an important issue, thus giving rise to a myriad of security systems. Two of the common security systems used are, password and personal identification (PIN) systems. Password systems require a user to provide the authentication system with a username and a password (both of which are unique to the user). PIN systems on the other hand usually require a user to provide a code, usually referred to as the PIN code, for authentication purposes. Both the password and the PIN system can prove to be a nuisance to users in the event they forget their password or PIN code. Moreover, a user A can easily impersonate another user B if user A happens to get a hold of the password or PIN code (given either voluntarily or exploited through other means) of user B. One way to avoid such breaches of security is to implement a user-based physiological or behavioral characteristic as a means for authentication. This is the general idea behind biometrics.
Biometrics is the study of measurable biological characteristics. In computer security, biometrics refers to authentication techniques that rely on measurable physiological (e.g. face, fingerprint, hand, iris, or DNA) or behavioral (e.g. keystrokes, signature, or voice) characteristics that can be automatically checked.
In the above description, authentication is usually accomplished via a biometric device. A general description of the functionality of a biometric device now follows. First, the biometric device captures a profile of the characteristic and next, a comparison of the acquired profile is made with a stored profile or template. Lastly, upon successful matching of the captured and stored profile, the user is interfaced with the application system requesting authentication.
Authentication based on fingerprint: One of the most common biometric techniques is the fingerprint, wherein users scan in a copy of their fingerprint and a comparison is performed by the authentication device as to whether or not the input fingerprint matches that of a stored fingerprint corresponding to the same person. Some fingerprint authentication devices further provide a step of checking for a pulse to combat problems posed by false-authentication via fingerprints that are not real.
Authentication based on hand geometry captures the physical characteristics of a user's hand and fingers via a scanner and is matched with a stored template of the same user. Upon successful authentication, an action (like opening a secure door) is performed by the querying system.
Therefore, biometrics is beginning to play a critical role in authentication and security. Biometrics authenticate the user not based on what he can remember (like passwords, PIN's, etc.), but rather use the user's characteristics (or who the user is) to perform authentication.
Also recently, improvements in electronic tracking and inventory systems have been proposed that take advantage of the latest short range, low power technologies such as Bluetooth and ZigBee. However, no similar proposals have been made that specifically address enclosures such as luggage, briefcases, lockers and cabinets as in the smartphone controlled biometric and Bluetooth enabled locking Smart wallet application, providing biometric authentication and electronic tracking.